Ranger Leads Effort To Restore Antietam Sword

摘要

For more than a century, a monument to Union Brig. Gen. James Nagle has stood guard at Antietam National Battlefield. Nagle served as the colonel the 48th Pennsylvania Volunteer Infantry before his promotion to general on September 10,1862, and the statue closely resembles its real-life counterpart in all but one respect: Nagle's beloved sword is missing. But a dedicated effort is now under way to restore it. The 48th Pennsylvania monument was unveiled with 36 surviving veterans on hand in a ceremony on September 17,1904, exactly 42 years after the regiment had suffered 60 casualties at Antietam, including eight men killed. The 7'4" bronze statue included a replica of Nagle's favorite sword.The weapon had been given to him by his hometown of Pottsville, Pa., after his service in the Mexican War. Nagle, who became a brigadier general, was very found of the distinctive sword, and it can be seen in several wartime photographs of the Federal officer.